Ouch- that sucks! I once had a door almost fall off- I was on a two stopper, stops in Milwaukee and Chicago. Well I picked up the preloaded trlr at night, so I didn't do as thorough of an inspec as I should have (lights, tires and brakes pretty much it); got to the first stop, opened the doors, and found out three of five door hinges were BROKEN. That was no fun trying to prop the door up so I could chain it open and deliver. And at the second stop (in Milwaukee) the door chain came loose, the door flopped open and snagged on the dock (it was enclosed) and almost tore the rest of the way off. Six hours after the second stop I was on my way (with five new hinges and a shoebox sized hole in the roof) all fixed.

MadCity- the only threat I ever got from my Dispatcher was once, I sent a message on my qualcomm that I was almost out of hours (after picking up outside Columbus OH delv to Elkhart IN). This was on tues, after leaving the house monday am. Their bone of contention was that I was home for 34 hours, so I technically got a reset. I told them I got home for 34 hours by driving 950 miles between where I was and home- which of course I could never legally log in one day.
Anyways, after explaining this to him, he told me that if I kept sending messages like that he would have to shut me down right there for a reset, and that would ruin my week and miles.

Thus you quote the honorable Forrest Gump? Well done, sir! I do like southern logic especially when it's tied to uncommonly common sense.

__________________
Run 100% compliant. Log it like you do it and make more money!

Montani Semper Liberi

madcitysw and wallbanger *******

thank you for the extra information, it is appreciated by us and our clients.

we will continue to piece together whatever we find, since we believe that the driver's accident was related to covenant actions (or lack of actions) and policies.

again, thank you.

and thanks to southern hell too.

you all have some great screen names

thank you to the above posters.

we were able to use some of the information and finally cause covenant transport to settle our clients' cases for a reasonable amount.

again, thanks to all of you.

Glad you were able to get a proper settlement from them. Again, it seemed like an open and shut case, glad you were finally able to close it.

A good $$$ Christmas after all

__________________
SKULL, THE INTERNET GOD!

I don't work for Covenant, but my company was recently bought out by Covenant.

Today I went down to Covenant's main terminal in Chattanooga to pick up a Covenant truck to take back for my company. I coundn't believe what I experienced.

Just getting in and out of the main gate was a hassle: Who are you? What are you doing here? Where's your seal record? (What's a seal record?) What's the last 4 of your SSN?--Why in the #### didn't Covenant tell the guards I was coming to get a truck? At my company's main terminal its no big deal to come in and out, no hassle whatsoever.

Then I found the truck I was supposed to take.

Look, in this business there's lots of truth-stretching, tall-tales, blantant lies, etc. But what I'm about to say is no lie.

THIS TRUCK WAS TRASHED! Covenant made no attempt whatsoever to clean this truck, outside or inside. Trash everywhere! I have a smokeless tobacco habit, and I noticed an old Gatorade bottle inside the truck to spit in, until I looked closer and noticed a little bit of pee in the bottom! My hands were getting nasty from using the steering wheel and shifter. It wasn't just a matter of using a broom and some Armorall, the truck was nasty as #### and filled w/trash! I don't even want to mention the mattresses! And the wiper blades only worked on high speed.

Also, Covenant trucks have no privacy curtains, no loadlock racks, short fuel tanks, no air-bag dump valve, no trailer hand brake (that should be illegal!), no reset button for leg miles, and no electric mirror or window on driver's side. Cheap-### Covenant! A big company like Covenant that can afford to buy tons of Freightliners should at least get some features put in them, at least the hand brake and privacy curtains.

When I finally got back to my terminal in Nashville I was in a state of shock. I grabbed another driver who was just walking thru the yard and told him to check out this new truck from Covenant. He couldn't believe it! In fact, he got his girlfriend/wife to check it out too because it was so unbelievably nasty. No joke, I needed to wash my hands after driving this thing.

The company I work for is not perfect. In fact, I've wanted to quit many times. But I've seen many of our drivers quit, only to come back a few weeks later. It's a good company w/all the benefits and business that a big company has, but small enought that I'm familiar with all personalities of ALL the dispatchers.

I'm taking this experience as a sign of bad things to come. What a shame to see a good company sell out to Covenant.

I think those curtains are for more than just privacy. Seems to me they also block the sun for sleeping during the day when that's necessary.

__________________
Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news here, but if you went there to pick up a truck, you aren't an outsider any longer.....